33% voting in Seemandhra by 11 AM; stray incidents reported

HYDERABAD: About 33 per cent polling was recorded till 11 AM in Seemandhra today with voters turning up in good numbers even as police opened fire in the air to disperse a group of YSR Congress workers who allegedly tried to forcibly remove a poll agent from a booth in Guntur.

Barring stray incidents, polling has been peaceful in the 175 Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha constituencies, state Chief Electoral Officer ( CEO) Bhanwar Lal told reporters here.

"It is good percentage of polling so far. Voters have queued up in large numbers. I feel the overall voter turnout may go up to 85 to 90 per cent as we hoped," he said.

"One round was fired in the air after some YSR Congress activists removed an agent from a booth in Ramireddypalem," Superintendent of Police (Guntur Rural) J Satyanarayana told PTI, adding that otherwise the polling is going on peacefully in other parts of the district.

A few stray incidents were reported at Jammalamadugu, Proddutur and Mydukur Assembly segments in Kadapa district.

There were incidents of stone pelting between YSRCP and TDP at a few places and two vehicles were damaged during the clashes.

Seven workers of both YSRCP and TDP were injured in Proddatur and Mydukur segments.